The invention relates to cleaning systems for electrographic processes and, in particular, to detecting leaks in such processes.
Electrographic printing processes commonly implement cleaning systems in order to remove waste products from the process. In a process that implements particles for development, such as a dry toner, vacuum cleaning is often implemented with a particle separator that separates waste particles from a cleaning gas flow. The particles are deposited in a particle collection container for subsequent disposal. Leaks in the cleaning system may inhibit performance and have other undesirable effects, including the deposit of waste particles in undesirable places.
According to an aspect of the invention, a process and apparatus for sensing leaks is provided in an electrographic process cleaning system of the type configured to have a particle collection container comprising sensing a pressure inside the particle collection system proximate the particle collection container.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a process and apparatus is provided for sensing leaks in a particle collection container that collects particles from an electrographic process comprising sensing a pressure indicative of pressure inside the particle collection container.
According to a still further aspect of the invention an apparatus is provided for removing particles from an electrographic process, comprising a particle separator, a particle collection container in fluid communication with the particle separator, a vacuum source in fluid communication with the particle separator, and a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the particle collection container wherein the pressure sensor senses the presence of leaks in the particle collection container.